diff --git a/data/anope.example.conf b/data/anope.example.conf
index fd393c3f2..427ca2cdc 100644
--- a/data/anope.example.conf
+++ b/data/anope.example.conf
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ networkinfo
 	 *
 	 * It is recommended you DON'T change this.
 	 */
-	vhost_chars = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789.-/"
+	#vhost_chars = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789.-/"
 
 	/*
 	 * If enabled, allows vhosts to not contain dots (.).
diff --git a/src/protocol.cpp b/src/protocol.cpp
index 398e1c8b5..13d0ec4c2 100644
--- a/src/protocol.cpp
+++ b/src/protocol.cpp
@@ -353,8 +353,9 @@ bool IRCDProto::IsHostValid(const Anope::string &host)
 	if (host.empty() || host.length() > IRCD->MaxHost)
 		return false;
 
-	const Anope::string &vhostdisablebe = Config->GetBlock("networkinfo").Get<const Anope::string>("disallow_start_or_end"),
-		vhostchars = Config->GetBlock("networkinfo").Get<const Anope::string>("vhost_chars");
+	const auto &block = Config->GetBlock("networkinfo");
+	const auto &vhostdisablebe = block.Get<const Anope::string>("disallow_start_or_end", ".-/");
+	const auto &vhostchars = block.Get<const Anope::string>("vhost_chars", "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789.-/");
 
 	if (vhostdisablebe.find_first_of(host[0]) != Anope::string::npos)
 		return false;